Kameo: Elements of Power is a video game launched for the Xbox 360 and is developed by Rare. The game was originally planned for the GameCube and has been in development since 2001.

Plot

When Theena, the elf queen, gives her daughter Kameo the power of self-transformation, her sister Kalus grows jealous and releases the ancient curse which held the evil troll, King Thorn, captive. Thorn, working with Kalus, kidnaps Kameo's family. Kameo, armed with 3 elemental warriors (Pummelweed, Chilla and Major Ruin), assaults Thorn's Castle, only to be defeated by a giant troll. Kameo loses her elemental warriors and wakes up in the Enchanted Kingdom. The Mystic tells Kameo that she must reclaim the elemental sprites that hold the spirits of the ten elemental warriors. Kameo must also rescue the ancestors that helped Theena defeat Thorn the first time. Armed with the Wotnot Book, a magical tome that houses Ortho, a wise wizard, Kameo sets out on a quest for revenge.

Warriors

Kameo's main objective during the game is the 10 elemental warriors, which she must collect to progress through the game. At the beginning Kameo has the power of 3 elemental warriors, but these are lost due to an attack from the game's villain, Thorn. Kameo must defeat shadow trolls to regain the elemental warriors, although the ancestors will also reward her with an elemental warrior. Also available throughout the game are elemental fruit, which can be either found or awarded to the player for helping the villagers solve problems. These can then be used to purchase upgrades for the warriors. The concept of playing a shapechanger that collects more and more shapes was first used in the old Shadowcaster PC game.

The names of the elemental warriors are as follows:

Pummelweed - A plantlike forest elemental warrior that packs a mean punch. Close combat fighter that uses jabs and uppercuts. The first elemental warrior you encounter.

Snare - Another plantlike elemental warrior, but of the acid element. Snare has powerful jaws and has the ability to bite, swallow or spit out enemies, as well as spew acid.

Rubble - Simply a pile of rocks. Though he may seem useless at first glance, this elemental warrior proves to be essential on Kameo's quests. Rubble is able to shoot his rock limbs at enemies. He has the rock element.

Major Ruin - An armadillolike, elephantlike elemental warrior of the spike element. He is able to roll up into his shell and plough through the enemy at high speed, sometimes picking up the occasional 'hitch-hiker'.

Ash - A powerful dragonlike elemental warrior of the fire element, often underestimated by his enemies. Although he is relitively small for a dragon, he can easily turn an imposing Troll into a wildfire. His wings are useless as they cannot support his massive body weight.

Thermite - A small termitelike elemental warrior, that carries a large volcano-like cauldron on his back. He is capable of unleashing several devastating attacks out of this cauldron. He is of the lava element.

Chilla - A snow elemental warrior that resembles a yeti. He has multiple ice spikes protruding from his back which he can detach and throw at enemies. Chilla is also able to climb ice walls and grab small enemies and use them as clubs.

40 Below - A large, legless ice elemental warrior that travels around atop a snowball limb. 40 Below has icy breath and can create a large, spiky snowball that he can use for a variety of attacks.

Flex - An electricity elemental warrior with four tentacles with the ability to stretch his body and grab and attack enemies from a distance. And whereas most people would use Deep Blue to go through water, not many think to use Flex to skim ontop.

Deep Blue - A water elemental warrior resembling a squid and a jellyfish who is most at home underwater. He is a weak-out-of-water creature that should mainly be used for underwater fights and fire creatures. He is able to swim at fast speed and can shoot torpedoes underwater, as well as shoot water and oil when on land. Combine oil and fire to create a better flamethrower than Ash.

Kameo also gains the companionship of a pegacorn and a raptron in the Badlands.

Development History

Kameo was originally planned for the Nintendo GameCube and was set to be one of Rare's flagship titles for the system, along with Star Fox Adventures and Donkey Kong Racing. However, when Microsoft announced its purchase of Rare in late 2002, Kameo's future was put in question. It was decided that work would continue on the Xbox and a planned release date of 2003 was given. After several revamps, causing repeated delays, Kameo was put on indefinite hold in late 2004. Following this, rumors began that the game was once again undergoing a platform change, this time from the Xbox to the Xbox 360, where it was officially the first game for the system.

The launch of the game brought with lt the sale of an official soundtrack featuring 27 musical tracks from the game.